


Gone

by 1NKY_GH05T



Category: Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon & Comics)
Genre: Beast Wirt, Beatrice is a good friend, Good Brother Wirt, Greg is a good brother, I will add tags as I go, Lantern-Bearer Wirt, Sad Wirt, The Unknown (Over the Garden Wall)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-24 20:06:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22123690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1NKY_GH05T/pseuds/1NKY_GH05T
Summary: Wirt must take over where the beast left off.
Relationships: Beatrice & Gregory & Wirt (Over the Garden Wall), Beatrice & Wirt (Over the Garden Wall), Gregory & Wirt (Over the Garden Wall)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 64





	Gone

Warm sunlit shines through the blinds into the peaceful house that belongs to the Morley's on a late Saturday morning.

Gregory Morley is dancing in the living room with his frog, -whom he refuses to call a pet, for he is a companion- Jason Funerburker, to his older half brother Wirt Morley's clarinet.

-playing his clarinet in front of his family is something Wirt would have never done previously, but as of recent times, he has stepped out of his comfort zone more-

Greg laughs and lifts his frog high, then sets the amphibian down, both frog and boy continue to dance.

"Wirt?" Greg asks, and his brother lowers the clarinet from his mouth, Jason stops as the music does, but Greg spins in a circle. "Do you want to come dance with us?" He asks, meeting Wirt's eyes once he's spun so he faces him.

Wirt's eyebrow raises slightly. "There will be no music, Greg." He states softly, something he would not have done almost a year before, would not have done after halloween, Martha Morley thinks from where she watches from the kitchen as she helps her husband John Morley make breakfast, he wouldnt have responded kindly. Her boy truly has been changing for the better, not that he wasnt an amazing son before.

"Oh, that's true." Greg stops his dancing now, pretending to stroke a mustache. "We could just dance to music in our head!" He suggests excitedly, Wirt's eyebrow only raises more. "Or," the youngest Morley continues. "We could sing together." 

Wirt sighs but gets up and sets his clarinet on the table for the time being and walks over to Greg and Jason Funderburker. "Alright Greg." He hums softly, adjusting the sleeve of his warm brown sweater. "I'll dance with you and Jason."

Greg's eyes light up and he grabs Wirt's hand and Jason's, Wirt grabs Jason's as well. The frog lifts off the ground, but doesn't seem to mind at all.

They spin, similar to how you would in ring-a-round-the-rosie, and they attempt to sing, but its often interrupted by bouts of laughter, and soon enough they give up, and dance to their own laughter instead.

Both Martha and John have stopped by now and watch the boys and the frog, large, content smiles on both faces. 

All is good.

-

It turns out all is not good.

The next morning is dark and cold, so very different from the warm gold color that had spilled inside the day before.

Its odd. Its early August, summer still, and yet it is stormy despite weather reports being clear, Sunday was supposed to be _sunny._

Greg and Jason are the only ones awake, and the boy huffs as he sits at the table, swinging short legs and waiting for his older brother to wake.

Greg and Wirt are typically awake at the same time, and Greg is begging to get tired of waiting. The youngest of the brothers has been awake for at least 15 minutes now, but he's now allowed to go and wake up Wirt, he was told he'd get grounded if he did it again.

So he waits. And waits and waits, although he is not alone, he has his frog, who he loves very much, and is good company.

Wirt is still not awake once his parents get up, which is highly unusual and his parents seem to think so too.

"Did you not check on him, sweetheart?" Mom asks, already on her way to check on her eldest. "You told me not to last time." Greg whines, resting his head in his hands. "Remember?"

Mom sighs but does not say anymore. She knocks on Wirt's door. "Wirt, honey? Are you alright?" There is no response. She walks in.

There is no one there.

She hastily begins to search the room for any sign of why, and calls for John. He comes quickly with Greg and Jason on his heels. He calls the cops while she and Greg search.

They find nothing

-

They're quick to make missing posters once the cops leave. Greg is uncharacteristically silent.

Martha knows her boys have been attached at the hip since.. since Halloween, and she knows it must be hard for him without his older brother around.

Greg helps silently and Martha allows him to pick out the picture for the posters.

He picks one where Wirt is laughing, hand raised halfway, on the way to cover his face. His cheeks and ears are tinted pink and his eyes are bright. He is wearing a maroon sweater. Martha thinks it is a wonderful picture.

-

It's been a week and there is no sign of Wirt. Greg mopes through the house, and neither Martha nor John now what to say to help.

Jason even seems pitifully sad, following after Greg with his head down. Martha cant tell if it's just because he can tell Greg is sad or if it is because of Wirt's sudden absence.

She sighs, running her hands over her face as she prints a few more missing posters, hoping that if she gives Greg something to do that he'll feel a little bit better, she knows he likes to help.

Looking at the picture of her boy makes her sad, her chest aches to look at the picture of him so very happy but not have him here.

"Gregory." She calls, picking up the posters she printed. "You want to put a few more of these out, sweetheart?"

Greg looks up from the tv and gets up with Jason Funderburker in tow. "Sure, mom." He takes the posters carefully, as if afraid they will break if he's not gentle. "Becareful Greg." She tells him softly, ruffling his hair. "Come back home soon alright?"

He nods and makes his way out of the house, and Martha silently hopes that he'll feel better about it soon. 

-

Two weeks.

-

Three.

-

A month.

Her baby has been gone a month.

The police have found nothing, it's like he just up and vanished. She misses him horribly and she knows John and Greg do too, hell, even Jason the frog does.

She silently prays for what feels like the millionth time in a month that Wirt gets home safe soon, and fights back the tears that threaten to spill over her eyes.

 _Please,_ she prays, squeezing her eyes shut. _Please bring my baby home._


End file.
